Defects in the process of bone repair and regeneration are linked to the development of several human diseases and disorders, e.g. osteoporosis and osteogenesis imperfecta. Failure of the bone repair or cartilage repair mechanism is also associated with significant complications in clinical orthopedic practice, for example, fibrous non-union following bone fracture, implant interface failures and large allograft failures. The lives of many individuals would be improved by the development of new therapies designed to stimulate and strengthen the fracture repair process.
Any new technique to stimulate bone repair or cartilage repair would be a valuable tool in treating bone fractures. A significant portion of fractured bones are still treated by casting, allowing natural mechanisms to effect wound repair. Although there have been advances in fracture treatment in recent years, including improved devices, the development of new processes to stimulate, or complement, the wound repair mechanisms would represent significant progress in this area. For example, efforts to influence bone repair using bone stimulating proteins and peptides, e.g., bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs), resulted in only limited success.
Therefore, there is a need for agents and compositions for enhancing bone mineralization for bone regeneration and repair.
Therefore, there is a need for agents and compositions for enhancing cartilage regeneration and repair.
The embodiments described below address the above issues and needs.